LeBron James has won three championships. He's a four-time league MVP, 12-time All-NBA First Team honoree, and 18-time All-Star. By the time his career is finally, regrettably finished, James may be the top scorer in NBA history, an especially impressive possibility considering passing is broadly considered the best attribute of his game.
Needless to say, James' basketball legend will live forever. His most significant and lasting accomplishment, though, has nothing at all to do with the sport that's brought him such fame and fortune.
It's been just less than a full year since James, in partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation, opened the “I Promise School” in Akron, a public elementary school serving at-risk youth in his hometown. More than 90 percent of IPS students met or exceeded their growth goals during the school's inaugural year, according to Bleacher Report, and Toni Roberts, a teacher with 32 years of experience, is adamant the school is achieving its goal of helping less fortunate students and their families get on track toward sustained success.
“When I came here, people would tell me, ‘It's not going to work over there. When you go over there, you've got those bottom kids. There's no way that you're going to be able to maintain what you've done all these years and still keep it going,'” Roberts said, per Bleacher Report's Hanif Aburraqib.
“Well, guess what? Yes, it does. These kids know how to respect. They know how to be loving. They know how to give love in return. So, don't tell me that it's not possible with what we poured into the school. Look at all of this.”
Students for IPS are selected based on test scores and other criterion, then placed in a lottery. The school currently serves third and fourth graders, with plans to expand to grades one through eight by 2022.
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